


our little secret || legacies one shot

by solelessoul



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: #legaciesslytherin, Angst, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24106084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solelessoul/pseuds/solelessoul
Summary: Hope Mikaelson faces a situation where she keeps a dark truth. Will she continue to keep her mouth shut or will it get to her first and consume her inside out?
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Lizzie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 69





	our little secret || legacies one shot

**Author's Note:**

> hey, Kristin (@slugdrunkposie_) here. this one shot was written for the legacies hogwarts house cup on twitter. you can follow the official account @legacieshogwart on twitter. with that being said, please enjoy this work! :)

"Hope! Hope, can you hear me? Listen to me okay?"

She heard the familiar voice, but the ringing in her ears muffled all the sound that surrounded her. Her heart pounded in her chest, her body was shaking, her lips quivered as she felt her own breath hit her ice cold skin. It was all a blur, but at the same time, she could see everything going on all at once in the dark forest. 

"Hope!" The voice called out again. Her terrified gaze slowly met widened brown eyes. 

She never thought she could do it, but she did. Oh, she really did, and she knew it was wrong, but why did it bring her such great relief? It was wrong, but it felt good. 

"Josie." Hope muttered. Her frantic posture slightly relaxed at the sight of the taller girl. Josie kneeled in front of her and quickly scanned her body. "Josie, I'm so sorry. I am so, so, sorry." She kept repeating it again and again. "Oh, God, I'm terrible. I'm a monster. A monster!" The siphoner quickly hugged her tight and hushed her softly. Hope felt like she was frozen from the inside. She couldn't move, because moving meant feeling, and feeling meant it was real. She didn't want it to be real. 

The sound of sirens could be heard approaching in the distance, but it sounded like an echo in the Mikaelson's ears. "Hey! We're right over here!" Someone waved at the vehicles that had arrived; she couldn't tell who it was. 

More people swarmed the scene. A distressed Lizzie was sitting at an old chopped down tree trunk while unending tears were flowing down her cheeks. Paramedics rushed her to the nearby ambulance. "You wait here." Josie said as she followed her sister.

Hope didn't respond. She didn't know how. Everything was happening at the same time and it was all too overwhelming; loud sirens, flashing blue and red lights, crushing leaves and branches, hurried footsteps, people shouting here and there. 

With all the strength she could muster, she brought her hands nearer to her face which she failed to do without trembling. "I did this." She thought. "I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this,..." 

Hope's vision began to become fuzzy. She felt the hot tears stream down to her chin, and she let out a single quiet sob. 

At least the sight of her hands splattered in crimson red was gone. 

Maybe if she kept her mouth shut, this would not have been happening. 

Maybe if she could have just kept one little secret.

[5 days ago]

"Are you two really gonna have a date tomorrow?" Lizzie asked as they walked to their next class. She had her books rested in one arm and the other fixed her yellow top. 

"It's been a while since we did. Penelope has wanted to go on that museum date we've planned weeks ago." Josie rolled her eyes playfully. "Maybe if you just asked out a certain someone maybe we could go together." She wiggled her eyebrows. 

"I am so not asking Hope Mikaelson out." The younger twin's eyes widened. "And don't act like you didn't have a crush on her." 

"That was forever ago. Just ask her out."

"Who's asking who out?" 

"No one!" Lizzie objected swiftly when the witch approached. 

Penelope Park had her charming smile on and kissed her girlfriend's cheek. "Good day, gorgeous." She intertwined her fingers with Josie's as they continued to walk. Their footfalls creaked slightly along the wooden floors. Lizzie feigned a gag. 

"Hey Lizzie." Penelope smirked. 

"Satan." 

The blonde crossed her arms and avoided eye contact. Josie's brown eyes switched from one girl to the other and shook her head. "You guys have a weird friendship. I find it hard to understand." 

"Our relationship is solely based on our loyalty to you, darling." The green eyed girl explained to which the taller witch nodded in agreement. "And my relationship with you is only because you're too smart for your own good, and I love that about you."

"You literally charmed your way to me by getting me to help you with your Chemistry of Magic project." Josie gave Penelope a pointed look. "I don't even know why I'm with you."

"You love me."

"Unfortunately."

"Oh, God, get a room you two."

The trio came unto a halt when the twins' father blocked their way. He had a duffle bag hanging from his shoulder and he had a leather jacket on. Lizzie and Josie had a look of disappointment.

"I know." Alaric smiled apologetically.

"Again?" Lizzie pouted. "This is becoming a regular thing. I might as well get used to it."

"No, it's not gonna be a regular thing. Your mother found some research and we have to meet up." The headmaster explained. "Besides, I won't be alone in this one if that's what you're worried about." As if on cue, the sound of Hope's combat boots hitting the floor could be heard. She rocked her usual look with an olive green blouse and jeans. Hope Mikaelson gave the girls a small wave. Alaric looked at her daughters once more. "If we leave early, we'll be back as soon as possible."

He kissed both of his girls' heads and smiled at Penelope. "Keep them out of trouble, will ya?"

"Sure thing, Dr. Saltzman." She winked. Alaric gave them one final nod and gestured to Hope to follow.

The tribrid looked at her fellow witches and smiled abruptly. "Bye girls." she said. "Lizzie." She turned around and headed for the door. The blonde seemed to be dumbfounded.

"I... bye." She gave a small wave.

The couple looked at each other knowingly. Lizzie was too stubborn to admit that she liked Hope Mikaelson, but she was sure as hell not good at hiding her feelings. Lizzie shook her head to stop her daze.

"Ehem, Lizzie, ehem..." Josie feigned a cough.

"Is it just me or like..." She tries to change the subject. "Hope's super short?" Penelope and Josie looked at her in confusion, but with a little bit of thinking, realization struck them.

"I guess she is. I mean, I'm kinda short too, but I still have to look down to talk to her." The raven haired girl shrugged.

"But isn't she older than us?" Lizzie and Penelope nodded at Josie's question. "Huh... Oh well." The brown eyed girl snorted. The trio resumed to walking to their class.

"Remind me why we have to go to Caroline when you, the headmaster, have a school to run?" Hope munched at her takeout chicken nuggets and her feet rested on the dashboard.

"Someone might be tracking her." Alaric said while keeping his eyes on the road. He spared a quick glance towards her. "And get your feet of the dashboard, will you? You're almost eighteen for God's sake."

The Mikaelson rolled her eyes but complied. "So you can't risk her life, but it's okay to risk ours?" 

"You're a tribrid. I know about the supernatural more than any other human." He gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Nothing can harm us." 

"There is one thing that could." 

"And what is that?" 

"I don't know… death by murder?" Hope raised her eyebrow at him. He gave her a knowing look. 

"We're just gonna get the artifact Caroline found from her research, alright? Once we do that, we hit the road first thing in the morning." 

"Yes, sir." Hope feigned a salute. 

She put on her earphones and braced herself for the long drive. The tune of ‘Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans’ played faintly in the background. It was a few more hours until they arrived in Maine where they would meet the blonde. She didn't want to spend her time with Alaric in the "retro" gray van with dragging chatter, so Hope leaned back on the headrest, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with the voice of Louis Armstrong singing to her. 

Hours had passed. The young girl was awakened by a light nudge. "We're here." Alaric said and turned off the engine. 

Hope stretched her cramped muscles and took in her surroundings with squinted eyes. It appeared that they were at the docks. The sky was painted with bright 

orange and lilac, and she heard the calming crash of the waves on the shore and the birds singing their song. 

With one last yawn, the blue eyed girl got out of the van and headed towards Alaric's direction. The headmaster opened the door to what seemed like a warehouse. Its hinges creaked as he did so. He entered cautiously. "Care?"

He held his crossbow with vigilance. Hope kept her eyes sharp and stayed ready to perform a spell if she had to. A metal clang brought their attention to the far corner where a silhouette stood. The older man pointed his weapon towards it. 

"Hey! Hey, it's me." The figure stepped out of the shadows with her hands up in surrender. A familiar face came into the light. 

"Caroline." The Saltzman let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Yeah, but maybe I'll feel a little safer if you stop pointing that crossbow with a stake that could potentially kill me." She eyed the weapon. 

Alaric retracted her crossbow. "Right, sorry." The atmosphere then became relaxed. Hope observed the woman’s figure. She looked young despite her age. Perks of being a vampire, she figured. "I hate to rush things, but where is it?" 

The vampire dug inside her dark leather sling bag and retrieved what looked like a worn journal. Caroline handed it to him. Hope eyed the object and watched their interaction quietly. It had a familiar circular symbol engraved in the cover, like it was some kind of ancient ascendant. Alaric ran his fingers across the gold writing. He looked at the blonde. "Thank you." 

"Of course." Caroline smiled softly. "Anything for my girls." 

Alaric gave her a slight nod. "Right." He patted the journal. "I guess this is goodbye." 

Alaric made his way to the car while the tribrid followed suit. "Wait!" Caroline called out. The headmaster faced her and raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking if I could see the twins? I'm sure I won't find any leads soon, so I figured why not go for a visit?" 

"Care-" 

"I know what you're gonna say, Ric," She raised a hand. "But it's been months. What's one day?" Caroline bit her lip. 

"Please."

Alaric furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation. There's a solution that could help them with the merge problem out there, but won't be easy finding it, and they can't waste any time. Then again, what's a day compared to months? Maybe it's good for Lizzie and Josie too.

"Alright."

"Wait, really? I mean-" Caroline took a deep breath. A large grin crawled through her lips. "Alright." Alaric nodded towards the van for her to get in. I guess I'm staying in the back seat, Hope thought. They all settled inside. The blonde buckled her seatbelt. "After all these years, you still have this old thing?"

"Finally, someone who gets it!" Hope breathed from behind them.

"You be quiet before I'll drop you off in the middle of nowhere." Alaric's blue eyes looked at the Mikaelson through the mirror. The girl smirked.

"I dare you."

"I'm daring."

"Ric!" Caroline slapped his arm. "Just start driving so I we can get home soon."

With that being said, they began their trip back to the Salvatore Boarding School, and though it was shorter than their drive to Maine, they still had to spend the night in a motel. It was remotely in the middle of nowhere. It had the signature neon sign that brightened the area; the walls were painted a nice cream color; and one could hear the sound of birds chirping near the forest. It wasn't the best place, but it was good enough to sleep in for the night. They rented a room large enough for all three of them to sleep separately. Hope and Caroline stayed in the two beds provided while Alaric took the couch.

Caroline stripped her black jacket and laid it on the white sheets. She stretched her arms to rid herself of the soreness from the long ride. It was a few more hours until she was finally going to see her girls. She can imagine the smiles on Lizzie's and Josie's faces when they find out she was back for a while. Numerous ideas swarmed Caroline's head on how they would spend the day. A game of hide and seek? No, they're teenagers already; Maybe a trip to the mall for some shopping and some books for Josie, of course. That sounds nice. The blonde couldn't help but feel giddy, but suddenly a wave of sadness washed over her.

Lizzie and Josie weren't kids anymore, and she barely witnessed how they've become the beautiful and amazing girls they are now. Alaric must be really lucky to be with them all the time and be with the twins at arm’s length. Caroline let out a deep sigh. She wished that it could always be like that.

About an hour passed, and meanwhile, Hope tossed and turned when she tried to rest. She couldn't sleep. It was too hot with the blanket on but too cold without it, the bed was too hard that it might as well be stone, and mosquitoes nibbled on her skin whenever they had the chance. She shot up. It was useless at this point. Hope ran her fingers through her auburn hair and decided to get a glass of water. Suddenly, she heard muffled voices. She peeked through the doorway and spotted the two adults with tense expressions. It seemed like they were in a heated discussion. 

Alaric gripped the material of the couch on both hands. "I will not allow that to happen."

"Ric, please, I missed so much, and this is good for them!"

"And I said no!"

The vampire crossed her arms and scoffed. "You know what," She started. "I'm the reason why they're here. May I remind you that I carried a responsibility that wasn't meant to be mine, but what did I do? I loved them, and I still do." She scoffed. "I would venture the ends of the earth just for them. I put myself in a position where I couldn't tell them 'good morning' in their own beds."

"We're going to see them now, is that not enough?"

"Apparently not!"

They both panted and shot glares at each other. Caroline turned her back from him. Alaric let out a heavy breath. "You're right." He shook his head slowly. "It wasn't your responsibility to carry in the first place."

The blonde was bewildered. "What do you mea-" She cut herself off with her own gasp. 

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Hope let her presence be known. Alaric had stabbed Caroline in the back, literally. The tip of the stake punctured through her chest, and the vampire struggled to breathe. Caroline was shaking terribly, and Alaric laid her down on the floor slowly. The headmaster kneeled beside her and looked at Caroline in the eyes which were full of betrayal.

“You said it yourself. It wasn’t your responsibility.” He stared blankly as the blonde’s body desiccated. “Now I’m getting rid of it completely.”  
The last thing Caroline saw was Alaric Saltzman smirking cynically over her until she let out her last breath. Hope rushed beside her now lifeless body and held back the tears.

“No…” She whispered. The tribrid clenched her jaw and shoved Alaric. “How could you do this?!” She glared. “She was trying to help!”

“Not anymore.” He dusted his clothes and got on his feet. “She wanted to take the girls away from me.”

“And maybe that’s a good thing. Do you even hear yourself right now? You’re being selfish, manipulative, and arrogant. Just wait until-“

“Until what?”

The room fell into silence. The tension in the air was thick, and Hope found it hard to breathe. Who could do this to the mother of their own children? She examined Alaric’s face. It held no remorse, no pity, and she didn’t recognize the man in front of her. This wasn’t the man that she and so many other students grew to admire. It was all just the face of a heartless killer.

“You’re going to tell Josie and Lizzie?” A dark chuckle left his lips. “You can’t be serious. That’s what you’re planning on doing?” Hope’s troubled expression made him fall into a laughter like it was some normal joke. “Unbelievable! You really think that’s going to work? I thought you were smarter than that.”

Alaric smiled at her and raised an eyebrow. “Go ahead, tell them, but I will tell them that you just stood there and watched me drive a stake through their mother’s heart.” He leaned in close to the tribrid’s ear. “You’re as much of a monster as I am, so it’s either you shut your mouth and not risk anything or let everything fall apart.”

Hope didn’t move a muscle. She just observed Alaric fetch a bag large enough to fit the laying vampire. Her throat felt tight. He eyed her expectantly. “So, are you going to help me or not?” The girl said nothing and hesitantly kneeled before Caroline. “You grab the legs.”

She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. “I’m so sorry, Caroline.” She whispered.

They headed off to the forest to hide the corpse. Alaric did all the heavy lifting while Hope just watched as he did so. His shovel dug into the soil and continued to carve a large hole. Sweat trickled down Alaric’s forehead and his clothes were slightly covered with dirt. The Mikaelson couldn’t help even if she tried, anyway.  
Caroline was dead, and she was in the middle of the woods with the killer as he hid her corpse. She felt sick. It wasn’t right, and she knew it, and in that moment, she set her mind to bring down Alaric Saltzman no matter what the cost. She is going to make him pay.

The ride back was tense, unsettling, and overall unbearable. Hope didn’t look his way at all. She focused her attention at the dancing trees that they had passed by and the flock of birds that flew above every now and then. 

The gates of the Salvatore Boarding School swung open, and the headmaster parked the van near the entrance door. Hope, in a swift motion, gathered her things and twisted the doorknob. As she headed for her room in quick steps, Alaric grabbed her by the wrist.

“I will let you do whatever the hell you want. Perform black magic for all I care,” He looked at her seriously. “But if you ever say a single word to anyone, I will not hesitate to repeat what happened back there. Do you understand?”

Hope clenched her jaw and harshly pulled away. She paid no mind to the man. Damn right she wasn’t going to say anything, because what she was about to do next is something worse than what words could do.

She wasn’t able to get a blink of sleep that night. Her blood was boiling and rage coursed through Hope’s veins as she stared at the wooden ceiling. How could one man be so heartless and cold-blooded and still put on a façade of a caring nature? Was it all an act? The Alaric Saltzman that Hope knew would never harm the mother of his own kids, or maybe she never knew who he was at all.

Maybe if one fought too many monsters they soon become one.

Hope Mikaelson didn’t have her head held high when she walked to class the next day. Her movements were sluggish and she had her hair in a messy bun. She sat on her seat without a word.

“Hope! How was your trip?” Lizzie called from behind with her sister beside her as per usual. “Since you spend more time with our dad so much, at least tell us about it.” She joked.

“Since you’re so fed up with your daddy issues, why not talk to him yourself?”

MG gasped at the front row clearly hearing the tribrid’s remark. Penelope smacked him behind the head. The twins were in shock, but the blonde’s demeanor exhibited hurt and her eyes began to water. She said nothing further. When Josie noticed her sister’s reaction, she instantly narrowed her eyes toward Hope.

“You didn’t have to be so mean.”

“But I was.” The shorter girl pointed out. Josie looked at her in disbelief and just scoffed. She ignored the tribrid and rubbed Lizzie’s back comfortingly.

Hope fumbled with her pen. She hated this. If she let others come close she’ll eventually give in to the temptation of spilling out the secret. Hope didn’t want to hurt them, but she had to or else they’d all be in danger. She swore she was going to do something about it, but pushing people away was the best option for now, but it sure as hell was difficult especially when it came to Lizzie. Hope had grown fond of the blonde; one might even go as far as saying that the young Mikaelson fancied her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Williams’ deep voice caught everyone’s attention from the doorway. “Pop quiz!” He said, and a chorus of groans came from the class. 

Another figure was standing by the doorway and it was none other than Alaric. His stare was directly on her, and Hope challengingly held the gaze. He broke away first and smiled to the people in the room, and he left. Hope clenched her fist and attempted to get her mind back to class.

The next two days were worse. She avoided the girls like a plague and ignored all forms of interaction. One time, she accidentally made Landon cry during P.E. because she told him that he ran laps like a waddling penguin. Rafael was not pleased with her remark. Whenever the twins or Penelope, or occasionally MG, would try to talk to her she would bark out hurtful words. It was pure torture. She wanted to scream out an apology, but the secret was clawing her mouth shut.

If only it was so easy to choose between losing one’s friends because of the truth or having them still because of a lie.

Hope trudged through the garden hurriedly. She discovered that this was the best way to avoid bumping into almost anyone, but it also meant that she would be late to class easier.

“Why are you avoiding us?”

The tribrid yelped. She turned around and saw the siphoner with her arms crossed and Hope stood up straight. What was she supposed to say?

“Why are you following me?”

“A question doesn’t answer another question.” Josie unfolded her arms and rested it on her hips. “Something’s wrong.”

You’re right, something is wrong, Hope thought. “Oh, so first you’re a martyr and now you’re a mind reader now? What else do you have under your sleeve Jo?”

“You haven’t been yourself since you got back from that trip with my dad.” The brunette approached her and raised an eyebrow. “I want to know what happened.”

“See, that’s the problem with you, Josette. You’re so ‘curious’ about people and analyze them and think you know them more than they do. Then you proceed to fix their problems.” Hope pointed a finger at her. “Well, hear this: fix your own problems first instead. You’re drawn to things you don’t understand. That’s why you’re with Penelope.”

Josie brown eyes stared at the Mikaelson blankly. Moments after, she pursed her lips and let out a laugh. “You’re being ridiculous.” She said. “This isn’t you, Hope.”

“Well, I guess a lot more people aren’t the way they seem.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you stay away from me and don’t bother me again.” Hope walked away. Josie grabbed her by the wrist

“Hope, wait-“ 

“Igaeus.”

The spell flung Josie into the air and her body hit and broke a vase. The Saltzman coughed and grunted in pain. Hope stared at her with wide eyes and her mouth wide. The tribrid turned around and didn’t look back.

“So that’s it?!” Josie shouted out.

“If you keep walking, I’ll never forgive you for what you did to me and Lizzie.”

She halted. She couldn’t break now. Hope took one small step. Josie gasped. “Hope,” She warned, but the Mikaelson didn’t listen. She took another step, until she started to walk away. “Hope!”

Josie’s expression was painted with hurt and betrayal, but then a flood of anger flowed through her and she punched the dirt below her. What she didn’t know was that Hope struggled to hold in the tears brimming in her eyes. Both sides were falling in this one, and it had been the final straw. The Mikaelson couldn’t take it anymore.

Another day had passed, and today was the day that she was going to let it all out. Her pulse was racing when she walked to the classroom. The twins and Hope had class together during this period, and the Mikaelson witch gathered her nerves and entered the room. She spotted the familiar sisters and quickly looked away when they noticed her stare. Mr. Williams hadn’t arrived yet, so she took the opportunity and approached the duo.

“Um, hi…” She started and fiddled with her fingers. The girls paid her no mind. Hope hasn’t been this shy since she first met her father and his siblings. “Can I talk to you guys?”

“What else can you even say to hurt our feelings?” Josie questioned. She put her hand over Lizzie’s protectively. The blonde has yet to say anything.

“About that,” The tribrid coughed awkwardly. “I was doing that on purpose-“

Lizzie’s mouth swung open. “Wait, what the hell?”

“No, that’s not what I meant!”

“Then what do you mean?”

“Just-“ Hope took a deep breath. “Listen, okay?” She said with pleading eyes. Lizzie and Josie looked at each other and stayed quiet. Once Hope knew that the attention was on her she spoke. “Something happened during our trip.” She began.

“Your dad-“

“What about me?”

Hope’s breath got caught up in her throat. Dammit. This man had impeccable timing. Alaric walked towards them. “I hope it’s something good.” He laughed. The headmaster rested a hand on Hope’s shoulder. “We don’t want anyone getting killed here, right?” He chuckled.

Lizzie and Josie looked at the little interaction suspiciously but said nothing. Alaric’s eyes lingered at Hope one second too long and pulled away. The headmaster patted her back lightly and was on his way like nothing happened. The twins had their eyebrows furrowed.

“Weird.” Josie mumbled. She shook her head and looked at Hope. “So, you were saying?”

Hope gulped. “Your- Your dad…” She stuttered. “Your dad was planning a surprise for your birthday and I’m kinda helping him.”

Lizzie’s features brightened. “Really? What is it about?”

“It’s not a surprise she told us about it.” Josie deadpanned at her sister.

“Whatever. We can act surprised. That way, I can be ready for any cameras recording.”

Hope smiled sheepishly. “Your sister’s right Lizzie. It wouldn’t be a surprise if you two knew.” Lizzie rolled her eyes and huffed. “It would be sentimental if we saw your genuine reactions, anyway.”

The day went by a little less unbearable for Hope Mikaelson, and the hidden truth is yet to come out. She couldn’t get it off her mind as per usual, and it lingered on her skin throughout her classes, but she wanted nothing of it anymore.

“I’ve had enough of this.”

“Of what?”

Alaric poured a glass of bourbon and sat on his chair. Hope stood in front of his desk and had her hands clasped together. She had a serious expression.  
Class was over in the Salvatore Boarding School and it was nearing curfew. The hallways are now clear from clamoring students who have retreated back to their bedrooms. Only Hope and Alaric should be awake at this hour, so they shouldn’t worry about any eavesdroppers.

“This.” She gestured to both of them. “I’m tired of this act. It’s not helping me at all.”

“Oh, but it is for me.” The blue eyed man took a sip of his drink.

“Since when did I care about what was good for you?”

Alaric smiled. Hope rolled her eyes. He was becoming a huge annoyance to her lately, and his presence alone irked her in many different ways. He set down his glass.  
“Because last time, you didn’t have anything, but now you do. Let out the truth and you’ll lose everyone you care about, and maybe your life would be on the line too.”

Hope narrowed her eyes on him. “Are you threatening to kill me?”

“You take it any way you want it to be.” Alaric shrugged. “I’m warning you, and this will be the last time.” 

"Is this really the way you want to take care of your daughters? They're my friends. All of them are... They're- They're my family," Hope whispered with her voice sounding strained. Her expression quickly turned into a hard one and connected eyes with the headmaster. "and I'm not gonna let you be the reason that everything will come crashing down." 

"That's where you're wrong Hope." Alaric slowly approached the tribrid. "They're my family, and you're the one getting in our way." As he took a step closer, Hope took one back. "The family you have is gone." 

Hope was pressed against the walls. She breathed heavily and clenched her fists, and she pried her eyes away. She was not going to let him get into her head. He didn't have the power over her, but the older man was making it all too difficult. 

He leaned closer to Hope's ear. "Your family is dead." He said menacingly. "And it's all because of..." His gaze connected with her hers. 

"You." 

Alaric had a cynical grin painted on his face when he saw Hope's shaking clenched fists. It wasn't going to be long until she breaks.  
Hope raised her hand to cast the spell. "Motu-" 

She paused. Her widened eyes examined Alaric's blank expression and followed where his arm extended. 

He held something in his hand, and it was inside her chest. A knife. It had pierced through her heart, and it felt cold. 

Hope puts a hand over his and tried to claw it off. Alaric didn't budge. "Oh, don't bother fighting it, dear." Alaric grabbed her hand. "It's been laced with wolfsbane. Your tribrid specialties aren't gonna work for you right now." The Mikaelson felt something drip from her lips, and her shirt began to be stained. 

She wanted to call out for help, but the silver metal was beginning to be unbearable, and even if she tried, all that came out were just gurgles. Alaric, without warning, pulled the weapon out and Hope hissed in pain.

The Saltzman steadily laid her down on the floor. "It's gonna be alright Hope. All the pain will be over in any second." He hushed her. The older man ran the pad of his thumb across her pale cheek.

“Say hi to Klaus for me.”

Hope’s sight started to become a blur, and the last thing she saw was Alaric walking away until darkness consumed her conscience.

Around half an hour had gone by since Alaric and Hope had their little chat. The school was a ghost town by now, but gentle rustling could be heard from the kitchen. Penelope looked through the contents of the refrigerator in hopes to find something to satisfy her rumbling stomach. She decided to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Wait, make those two sandwiches. Josie might want one too, she thought. It was movie night, and Josie was going to throw hands if Penelope’s stomach won’t shut up.

Now that she has something to bite on, she headed back to her room where her girlfriend watched Harry Potter with a passion. Her footfalls made the wooden floors creak slightly. In the corner of her eye, she saw a seeping light from the headmaster’s office. Why was Dr. Saltzman awake at this hour? She decided to check on him.

“Dr. Saltzman?” Penelope called out softly. “Are you there?”

She slowly opened the door with one hand and holding the plate in the other. Penelope finally fully opened the door and froze. Her lips trembled and she accidentally dropped the plate. The ceramic shattered into pieces as it hit the floor.

The witch’s green eyes were set on a dead Hope Mikaelson. A pool of blood soaked her form. Penelope rushed to her and kneeled beside her.

“Oh, God,” She managed to say. Penelope patted Hope’s shoulder and cheek lightly numerous times. “Hope? Hope, wake up. Oh, God, please wake up.” The horror Penelope was feeling didn’t help with the situation. The next thing she knew that tears were streaming down her face. Hope wasn’t waking up. Her cheeks were cold to touch. She was gone. Penelope couldn’t do anything now, so she was at the tribrid’s side and muffled her cries. Now is not the time to cry, Penelope thought, I have to get help.

The witch wiped her eyes and slowly got up. “I’ll be back.” Penelope whispered to the Mikaelson. When she was about to head out, a loud gasp caused her to turn around and found a coughing Hope struggling to breath.

“Hope!” Penelope hurriedly went to her side and helped her up. Hope Mikaelson was alive and breathing. She slapped her shoulder. “You ass, I thought you were dead!”

“I’m fine, thanks.” Hope glared at her sarcastically. “And I was dead.” She winced. “How long was I out?”

“How should I know? And how in the world did you get in here?”

Hope ran a hand through her auburn hair to process her memories until she realized. “That bitch!”

“What?” Penelope asked with a confused look. The Mikaelson was fuming.

“Alaric Saltzman pierced a dagger through my heart.”

“Again, what?”

“He must be digging my grave right now. What a jerk!” She muttered to herself. “Quick, we have to go get him.”

Penelope nodded. “Okay, I’ll go get the twins- Ah!”

The raven haired girl clutched her hand. The red substance began to run down her palm. A piece of the broken plate must have sliced through her skin when she tried to get up. Hope observed the wound, and she seemed to be captivated by it. She heard Penelope’s speeding heartbeat in her ears and the blood was like calling out her name.

“Hope, your eyes…” Penelope broke her daze. She looked at the mirror behind her and gasped. Veins decorated her face and her eyes were in a bright shade of gold instead of its usual light blue color. She brought a hand to her cheeks. She died and woke up.

She was in transition.

Her father’s vampire blood ran through her and there’s no other reason why she woke up. Hope shook her head. Klaus Mikaelson still managed to save his daughter even from beyond the grave.

Hope turned around and forced herself to look away from the blood. “Come on. We have to go.”

When Penelope rose, she grabbed Hope’s arm and clenched her fist and let her blood drip on the shorter girl’s palm. Hope held her breath and looked away, “What are you doing, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“It’s not much,” Penelope said. “But it’s enough to finish the transition.” She looked at Hope seriously. “Bottoms up.”

Hope was initially hesitant, but the other girl’s nod of encouragement was the push she needed. The tribrid flashed Penelope a grateful smile before consuming the liquid. It had a metallic taste, but seconds later, she felt absolutely… euphoric. Hope sighed. Everything felt heightened, and it felt good. She gave the other witch a determined look.

“Let’s go.”

Penelope barged into her room and swung the door open. “Jo!”

“You’re back, finally.” Josie’s attention was totally directed on the television. “Where’s the food? Gimme.”

“Jojo.”

“What?” She scanned her girlfriend’s shirt. “Why is there blood on your clothes?” Hope appeared behind Penelope. “Why does she have more blood on her clothes?”

“Really? Is Harry Potter so important that the sight of your girlfriend and friend soaked in blood not concerning for you?” Penelope asked.

“Quiet, Hermione is on screen.” Josie shushed her. The green eyed girl scrunched her nose in annoyance.

“Josie.” Hope called.

“What’s wrong?” The siphoner looked at her in the eyes.

Penelope looked at her in disbelief. “Oh, so when Hope says something, she listens. Great.” She murmured.

Hope clenched her jaw. “We need your help.”

Before they knew it, four witches sneaked through the back woods vigilantly. Their footfalls tried to avoid making unnecessary sounds and they hid behind the bushes. The cold wind of the night sent shivers down their spines and the sound of crickets creaking could be heard faintly.

“Where is he?” Lizzie questioned. They managed to tag her along their operation. “We could have brought Raf. The brave stuff is his kind of thing.”

“And his recklessness will get us all caught.” Penelope pointed out.

“Quiet down, I’m trying to listen.” Hope closed her eyes and focus on her hearing. She detected the sound of digging not too far from where they were. He was close. “Follow me.”

A few more meters later, they spotted a figure in the moonlight. They all ducked quietly behind the bushes. Hope was right. Alaric was digging her grave with a shovel in his hands. She tried to control her breath. Letting anger will only mess with her thinking, and she had to have a clear mind. Hope looked at the three witches. “You guys stay here.”

The tribrid gave her hands a shake to get rid of the nerves and readied her stance. This was going to be the first time for Hope to use her vampire abilities, and she was certain she wasn’t going to be able to control it that well in combat, but one may suppose say that living with a family of vampires would come in handy during situations like this. With a deep breath, she bolted towards the headmaster and managed to bring him down to the ground.

“What the…“ He breathed. Hope pinned his hands to the ground. Alaric grunted and struggled to let loose of her grasp. She had inhumane strength, and it was nothing like she had ever felt before. The headmaster unexpectedly kicked Hope in the stomach and knocked the air out of her, and he flipped them over and he was now on top. The older man wrapped both his hands around Hope’s neck. She gasped for breath but she couldn’t get rid of his grip.

“Let’s see if the second time would do it.” Alaric pulled out a gun and pointed it to where her heart was.

“Mikaelson!” 

The sound of her name caused her to look at the direction. She saw Penelope with the shovel in possession and threw it her way. Hope was quick to catch the tool and swung it hard as it collided with the man on top of her. The gun slid to the opposite side of where Alaric fell. She hurriedly retrieved the weapon and pointed it at the headmaster.

“Ah! You don’t want to do that.” Alaric warned. He held Penelope captive in front of him and held the knife he used earlier near her neck. “One wrong move and it’s goodbye to her.”

“Dad, stop!” 

Josie stepped out into the open, and Lizzie followed her not long after. Alaric stared at the twins and scoffed. “You brought the twins?” He looked at Hope. “Didn’t I tell you not to tell anyone?”

“Tell us what?” Lizzie’s cautious eyes shifted from their father and Hope.

“Go on Hope. Tell them.” Alaric smiled devilishly.

Hope bit her lip. This was it. She was finally going to get rid of this heavy burden, but during such a tense state, was she really getting rid of it or making things worse?

“He killed Caroline.”

Penelope stopped struggling in Alaric’s hold. The three girls were in shock of the newfound information. Hope couldn’t bear to look at the horror and pain in the twins’ eyes. Lizzie’s face turned pale. “What…?”

“That’s right. I killed her.” He admitted proudly. It was truly disgusting how Alaric felt no shame for what he did. “And I think you’re leaving something out, Hope. What did you do?”

All the pairs of eyes were on her. The auburn haired girl just stood there and said nothing.

“What did you do? Answer him!” Josie shouted in frustration.

Hope didn’t say a word and just shook her head. “I couldn’t save her…”

“It’s because she did nothing, girls.” Alaric said. “She just stood there and watched when I drove a stake into Caroline’s heart.” His blue eyes gazed at Hope’s now golden ones. “She’s just as much of a monster as I am.”

“Shut up!” Hope barked. She gripped the gun tighter and pointed it at him. “I wouldn’t have been able to do something because you killed her!”

“Careful. That’s not a toy.” Alaric gestured to Penelope. “Those bullets are made of wood, but it will be just as effective on witches.” He cackled. “You can just shoot through her if you want. She’d just be collateral damage. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time someone’s blood is in your hands, hm?” Penelope continued to try to peel away his hands off of her.

“You know what? I’ll do it for you.” The headmaster then slowly dragged the tip of the knife on the witch’s neck.

“Dad, please, no! I’m begging you!” Josie watched in fear as she witnessed her significant other at a brink of life and death. She tried to run towards them, but her sister forcefully pulled her away. “Let go of me!”

Everything went into slow motion. She had to think quickly. Think, Hope, Think! Her eyes scanned for an opening for her to shoot, but there wasn’t any. All that was exposed was the man’s head. She couldn’t Kill Alaric, but she couldn’t let him kill Penelope either. She wasn’t going to do it. She couldn’t do it, but then she noticed the blood beginning to seep down Penelope’s neck who hissed in pain. What else could Hope do?

The tribrid closed her eyes and gripped the gun with shaking hands. She had no choice. It was one move and she did it. She pulled the trigger. A thump then followed.

“No!” Josie’s cry echoed in her mind.

Hope didn’t want to open her eyes, because no matter who it was, she didn’t want to believe that the blood of someone she once knew was on her hands now. “It’s gonna be okay. Just look at me, look at me.” Josie whispered. Her voice sounded panicked. “Call 911!”

The Mikaelson slowly opened her eyes, and as her vision cleared, she saw it. She saw the lifeless body of someone she once knew, and it was her fault. She couldn’t feel anything, so she just stared at them. Her body felt heavy and her limbs felt weak, and Hope fell to the ground sluggishly.

She stared at Alaric Saltzman with a bullet through his head.

Blood spread through the soil, and Alaric’s unmoving eyes were staring at Hope, and it felt like he was staring into her soul. Hope felt hollow.

She was there, but she wasn’t. Hope remembered Josie kneeling beside her and telling her some things. It was all unfathomable. 

"Hey! We're right over here!" Penelope waved at the vehicles that had arrived. They were all rushed to the hospital and were given emergency treatment. Lizzie was in shock the whole time, and her sister was with her and held her hand the whole time.

Tension had built among the girls. They didn’t talk when they didn’t need to at the hospital. Besides, what was there to say?

Hope Mikaelson killed Alaric Saltzman; the father of her friends and the headmaster of the Salvatore Boarding School. 

The four stayed for a day until they got discharged. Now, they were all ready to go back to the school. Some policemen came by that day for questioning, and they mentioned that they took care of the scene.

“Hope?”

She looked up from the hospital seat and spotted Josie with Penelope behind her. The brown eyed girl opened her mouth to speak but closed it just as fast. She sighed and sat beside Hope taking her hand in her own. The older girl was puzzled.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Josie began. “And it’s not your fault. You had to choose between two lives, two people I loved dearly. However, back there was not my father. That wasn’t the father I knew and loved. He wore the face of my dad but had the instincts of a killer.” She took a deep breath. Josie ran the pad of her thumb at the back of Hope’s hand. “And it’s gonna be difficult to move on, but if it makes you feel better…”

“I forgive you.”

Hope was speechless. She didn’t expect such treatment from the other girl, because Josie loves her family above all else. The Mikaelson’s eyes began to water.

**“I forgive you, alright?” The siphoner reiterated. “So don’t you ever think about yourself as a monster. You are not him, because you are better. You’re trying to be better, and that’s what matters, okay?”**

****

Josie’s warm eyes stared into her blue ones with so much sincerity. Hope bit her tongue to stop the tears from falling.

“Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you.” Josie giggled. “You saved this dumbass right here.”

“Excuse me, who are you calling dumbass?” Penelope huffed and crossed her arms. “I was being a superhero and saved Hope from her inevitable death. Did you see that throw? I should be on the football team.”

“Yeah, and I also saw a knife held to your throat.” Her girlfriend raised her eyebrows.

“All that happened in the past stays in the past.” Penelope put her hands together and smiled.

“I’m dating a dork, a literal dork.”

“You love me anyway.”

Josie sighed. “Shut up.”

Hope watched their interaction silently and she pursed her lips into a soft smile. Maybe things will be better. 

Hope headed back to the woods where Caroline was buried. The twins were orphaned now, but like hell was she going to let that happen. With the aid of her Aunt Freya, Hope performed a resurrection spell on the vampire’s remains and brought her back to the living world.

Even after her transition, Hope was still able to perform magic, and she needed no daylight ring during daytime. She hadn’t attempted to activate her werewolf side yet. The tribrid figured that it was better to do it with the moon above her.

Caroline shot up from the couch and searched her surroundings anxiously. “Where is he?” She gasped.

“Caroline. It’s okay.” Hope comforted her and rubbed circles on her back. “You’re back at the school.”

“What, how?” She spotted Freya and the older Mikaelson witch waved. The vampire looked at her gratefully. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Freya nodded. She approached her niece and put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m heading off now. Nik’s been looking for me. You should come home soon, you know. He wanted to play with his one and only cousin.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Hope grinned. “Say hi to Keelin for me.”

They hugged each other tight and Freya kissed her cheek. The two Mikaelson exchanged one last smile before they parted.

A few days had gone by and everything started to go back to normal. Caroline was the headmaster- um, headmistress, rather, and managed the school more smoothly. Everyone gathered in the grand hall and sat intently as the blonde stood at the podium.

“I know that the recent events brought tension in the atmosphere, and I understand fully.” Caroline examined the crowd of students. “But we shouldn’t let it come between us. I encourage you to let out whatever feelings you have towards the situation. You can mourn, you can be angered, hell, you can be happy about it, but don’t ever disregard your feelings.”

“We should face this head on and grasp it fully so we can move on. Give yourself the closure you need. Let the emotions consume you, but remember,” She paused. 

“You are not alone. We have each other, because this school is a family. We help each other and we protect one another.” She locked eyes with Hope who was at the far back. “Even if it means we have to make the hardest sacrifices.”

With that being said, Caroline ended her speech and all the students went back to their routines. The tribrid saw Lizzie walking up the stairs and went after her. 

“Lizzie!” Upon hearing her name, the blonde trudged faster and didn’t look back.

“Lizzie, wait!” Hope called, but the girl disappeared through the corridor. The tribrid sighed deeply.

Caroline stood beside Hope and stared at where Lizzie once was. “She’s still avoiding you?”

“Yeah…”

The blonde nodded her head in understanding. “She’ll come around.”

“Will she? I mean, it’s Lizzie we’re talking around.” The Mikaelson gave her a hopeless look.

“Hey,” Caroline put both her hands on both sides of Hope’s arms. “Lizzie may have an attitude sometimes, well, most of the time,” She laughed. “But she has a big  
heart, and I’m her mother. I know she’ll come around eventually. Just give her time.”

Hope let her words sink in and nodded slowly.

“You like her, don’t you?”

“What? N-No!” The tribrid put her hands up. A blush crawled to her cheeks.

“Oh, come on. I wasn’t born last night.” Caroline gave her a teasing smirk. Hope groaned. “Which reminds me, come with me to the office. I have something important to tell you.”

Hope raised her head. “What is it?” She stared at the headmistress. Caroline gestured her to follow.

When they entered the office, Hope had thoughts of the night when he stabbed her in the heart. She still couldn’t fully grasp the fact that she died and came back to life. Her blue eyes looked at the floor. The carpet was different, but Hope imagined the pool of blood from where she stood and gulped. She tore her eyes away and stared at Caroline who took a book from the shelf. It was the journal she gave back at the warehouse. A long silence filled the room.

“What I’m about to tell you concerns my daughters and all I want for them is to be safe and to grow up.” Caroline said with a serious tone. “And no one, especially them, do not have to know. At least not yet they don’t.”

Hope raised an eyebrow and bit her lip. She continued to listen. The older woman clasped her hands together and rested her elbows on the desk.

“Have you heard about The Merge?”

Once again, Hope possessed a hidden truth which she couldn’t mention to anyone else. Was this her fate? Was she supposed to keep secrets until everything went downhill?

It was nightfall, and the tribrid wandered the woods alone. Caroline’s words repeated in her mind, and it started to overwhelm her being. She tried to focus on one emotion: misery. Something that could possibly be inevitable was going to happen to Lizzie and Josie, and she had to work in the shadows.

Hope let the feeling take over, and she started to feel the fangs penetrate her gums and the claws growing rapidly in her fingertips. Her bones crackled in excruciating pain; her limbs twisting in abnormal directions. She inhaled sharply as her eyes glowed gold and her vision turned sharp. She zoomed through the trees on all four paws, and as her werewolf form bathed in the pale moonlight, she howled. She voiced out the frustration, the struggle, and the entire burden away.

And you sat there and watched as all the chaos took over Hope Mikaelson. Why did you allow that to happen to her? You saw her pain all throughout, but you chose to say or do nothing. She was screaming for help, and we know you wanted to too, but you chose to stay silent.

So, are you going to keep this a secret too?


End file.
